Safety floats for cabin cruisers



Feb. 9, 1960 H. SALVAGE I SAFETY FLOATS FOR CABIN CRUISERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28. 1957 INVENTOR.

HARRY SALVAGE Feb. 9, 1960 H. SALVAGE 2,924,192

SAFETY FLOATS FOR CABIN CRUISERS Filed March 28. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARRY SALVAGE Awa e/1m.

United States Patent O SAFETY FLOATS FOR CRUISERS Harry Salvage, New York, NY.

Application March 28, 1957, Serial No. 649,034

2 Claims. (Cl. 114568) This invention, adapted particularly for use in cabin cruisers andother comparatively small pleasure boats, comprises inflatable float means which is inflated in emergency conditions to keep afloat a boat otherwise in serious danger of sinking.

Loss of a valuable cabin cruiser or similar boat through sinking often occurs. In .suchan instance; there may be present the even more serious danger. of loss of life. The present invention, accordingly, has as its main object the provision of means for preventing sinking of a boatin emergency conditions so thatit may be safely brought to port without possibility of sinking, capsizing, etc.

. Another object is to. normally dispose the float means in a relatively small,,inconspicuous space, so that it will not interfere with, normal'use of the boat. 7

Another object is to permit the floatmeans' to be swiftly andeasily. installed in a cabin cruiser or similar small boat, without requirement 'of modification or redesign of the hull or of any other component of the vessel.

Another object is ,to permit the installation to be eflected in diflerent sizes and types of boats, without the necessity of specially designing the inflatable float equipment for installation in a particular make, size, or type of boat.

Another object is to provide means responding automatically to filling of the hull withwater to a predetermined extent, toeflect automatic inflation of the float means.

A. further object is to providesafety float equipment that can be installed in or removed from a boat at any time, will .be readily portable so as to be, capable of transfer from boat, to boat, will be capableof reuse for an indefinite number of times, and-will be highly inexpensive, despite, the benefits to be obtained, through the use, thereof.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, referencev will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which ,the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying.drawingsforming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabin cruiser equipped with safety float equipmentmade in accordance withv the present; invention, the cruiserbeing shown in dot dash lines.

Fig. 2- is an enlarged, longitudinalv sectional view through the float inflating means in which the float is illustrated. in transverse. section, taken substantially on Pat nted. Feb

'ice

,line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the inflating means being shown in normaland in gas-releasing position in fully anddotted Fig- 8 is-a transverse sectional view, still further enlarged, on line 8--8 ofFig. 7.

In Fig. 1, a conventional cabin, cruiser or boat 10 has a hull 12 and a canopy 14. Within the hull 12 there is a float means 54. This float means is inflated automatically, responsive to filling of the hull with a predetermined quantity of water. -In other words, should a leak develop or should the hull be stove in, water would tend tomove rapidly into the same, and'the hull would ordinarily tend to rapidly fill. In thesev circumstances, as soon as the, hull fills .with water to, a predetermined level, the, equipment will automatically operate'to inflate the float means,-to. insurethat the hullwill not sink and will be kept in a stabilized condition.

In this arr.angement,-the float 54 constitutes an elongated, endless tube which would extend along the, wall of the hull, for substantially the full length'of the, boat, along both sidesthereof. Again,,the float would preferably be made of rubber or other gas andwaterproof, highly flexible material capable of being fully collapsed. Thefloat 54, as shown in Fig. 2, may be collapsedin a flat condition, so as to'be completely out of the way during normal use of .the boat. It could be secured by suitableresiliently elastic straps to the hull atselected locations.

In any event, when the tube 54 is inflated, it assumes the generally circular cross section shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Normally, however, the tube is collapsed into a plurality of superposed, folds 56 to cause the same to occupy a complete minimum of space. In a preferred embodiment, the tube mightyoccupy no more. than four or six square inches in respectto itscross-sectional area, althoughbeing capable of expansion to a diameter of perhaps twelve inches.

Inany event, a singlecartridgeSS, containi-ngcarbon dioxide under pressure or any other suitable gaseous fluid; capable ofinflating the tube 54,; is, engaged, within resilient, split ring clamps 6,0, 62 spaced axially of the container'58, Secured to the underside of the container by the ring clamps. is. a mounting bracket 64 in the form of an elongated, rigidly constituted strap member having downwardly offset ends secured by screws .66 or equivalent fasteningelements to a selected portion of :ri ng;v clamp 62 is a forwardly, upwardly inclined pivot bracket ,72 axially twisted. upon itself intermediate itsv ends (Fig, 2). An elongated bell-crank lever 74 is pivoted uponthe outer end'of bracket or arm 72 by a pin 76, at the juncture of the legs of said lever. 'Ihe elongated leg of the lever extends horizontally, longitudinally of the container above the same as shown in Fig. 2, and a strong, contractile spring 78 is connected between the long leg 79 of lever 74 and the horizontal leg '70 of bracket 68. Spring 78 is under heavy tension, so as to exert a strong pull on the lever tending to bias the same from its normal full line position in Fig. 2 in a counterclockwise direction, to its dotted line position in the samefigure of the drawing, r ,v

The free end of'the long leg "79 ofbie'll crank lever 74 extends through a vertical guide slot 80 formed in bracket 68. Referring to Figs. and 6 slotBOQadjacentits lower til end, is intersected by a transverse slot 82 and removably 'engageablein the transverse slot 82 is a water-soluble disc 84; When inserted in slot 82 the soluble disc 84 extends as a .stopabove and in contact with the leg 79 of bell-crank lever 74. Leg 79. is thus maintained in its about a neck 93 projecting from the normally sealed forward end wall of container 58.

A disc-shaped head 94 is disposed within the flared end 92 of tube 90 and is rigidly connected to'an elongated, hollow puncturing stem or prong96 (Figs. 2', 7 and 8), having a sharpened, beveled puncturing tube98 adapted to penetrate the end wall of container58 when the plunger is biased from its full line position of Fig; 2 to. its dotted line position in the same figure of the drawing. When the stem punctures the end wall, the gas may enter the stem, and pass directly through the head 94, through an opening 100 formed in the head. Thegas thus passes through the tube 90 into the float 54, inflatingthe same.

In use, the device would be mounted wherever desired in the boat. The flexibility of the endless fioat54 permits the same to be adapted to any conformation of hull, or to any size or make of boat. The container 58 is mounted at a selected level within the hull, such that the soluble abutment 84 will be disposed at that level to which, it is desired that the hull fill with water before operating the equipment.

Thus, assuming that an emergency will immediately dissolve, freeing spring 78 for contraction. The spring, contracting, snaps the lever 74 from its full to its dotted line position of Fig. 2. This in turn be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to. secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A safety float apparatus for boats, comprising an inflatable float formed of a flexible material and normally collapsed in a deflated condition so as to be conformable to the shape of a portion of a boat hull with which it is in contact, and means for inflating said float, .said means comprising a container holding a gaseous fluid under pressure, said container being normally sealed and develops, and that the hull begins to take in water, the water will fill the hull up to the level of the soluble abutment 84. The abutment including an end wall, said means further including a puncturing prong disposed adjacent said end wall and adapted to penetrate the same to release said fluid, the container including a neck into which the prong extends, the prong including a guide slidably engaged in the neck for guiding the prong during its movement toward and,

at bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on said bracket, a second bracket stationarily mounted adjacent the container, a contractile spring connected between the second bracket and the lever tending to bias the lever in one direction, and abutment means carried by the second bracket and normally extending in the path ofthe lever to hold the lever against movement in said direction, the

second bracket being formed with a guide slot receiving one leg of the lever for guiding the lever during the pivot'al movement thereof, said abutment means being carried by the seco'nd bracket in position extending across the guide slot, the abutment means comprising a water-soluble member, adapted to dissolve on filling of the hull to an,

extent suflicient to immerse said member, whereby to free thespring for swinging the lever from itslnormal position, the lever at its other end beingdisposed for movement against the prong whenswung by. contraction of the spring, thereby to cause penetration of the end wallj responsive to dissolving of the water-soluble member.

2. A safety float, apparatus for boats, comprising an inflatable float formed of a flexible material and normally collapsed in a deflated co'ndition so as, to be conformable to the shape of a portion of a boat hull with which it is in contact, and means for inflating said float, said means comprising a container holding a gaseous fluid under pressure, said container being normally sealed and .including an end wall, said means further including a puncturing prong disposed adjacent said end wall and adapted to penetrate the' same to release said fluid, the container including a neck into which the prong extends, the prong including a guide slidably engaged in the neck for guiding the prong during its movement toward and through the end wall, said means further including a connecting tube fitted onto said neck and extending into communication with the float, for communicating the container with the fio'at, the prong being wholly enclosed by the tube and neck, said prong including a head extending adjacent the wall of the tube, for depression of the prong into an end wall penetrating position responsive to pressure exerted on the wall of the tube, said means further including a bracket adjacent; the container, a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted on said bracket, a second bracket statio'narily mounted adjacent the container, a contractile spring connected between the second, bracket and the lever tending to bias the lever in one direction. and abutment means carried by the second bracket and normally extending in the pathof the lever to hold the lever against movement. in said direction, the second bracket beingjformed with a guideslot receiving one leg of the lever for guiding the lever during the pivotal moveadapted to dissolve on filling of the bull to an extent sufficient to immerse said member, ,whereby to free the springfor swinging the lever from its no'rmal position, the

lever at its other, end being disposed for movement against the prong when swung by contractionfiof the spring, thereby to cause penetration of the end wall responsive' to dissolving of the water-soluble member, the

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Travis Aug. 14, 1888 Kertesz July 21, 1914 Foster Mar. 30, 1915 0 6 Wollk May 20, 1930 Seat Oct. 8, 1935 Fromm June 22, 1937 Burkhardt Aug. 15, 1950 Fields Nov. 6, 1951 Paris June 4, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 2, 1894 Italy Apr. 10, 1931 

